Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in parliament said the government will further strengthen the Election Commission to hold free and fair parliamentary polls.
She, however, urged the main opposition BNP to suggest an alternative to recently scrapped caretaker government system.
"We cannot validate the provision of caretaker government declared illegal by the Supreme Court. But I will request them [opposition] to come up with a formula if they find any alternative to the system."
Hasina was delivering her winding-up speech in budget session, which began on May 22 and prorogued last night after 30 sittings.
Stressing the need for a stronger EC, the premier said the voter list with photographs has been prepared and translucent ballot boxes introduced.
Her government wants the electoral process to be more transparent and fair so that people can freely exercise their voting rights, she said.
Referring to the Chittagong City Corporation elections, municipality and union parishad polls and Habiganj by-election, the premier said the commission worked independently and nobody can claim that her administration tried to influence it.
Hasina, however, mentioned no specific measure to strengthen the EC.
The prime minister said the current parliament held 237 sittings till yesterday. But the opposition lawmakers joined 51 sittings and the opposition leader only six, she said.
"Participating only six sittings, the opposition leader spoke four days for three hours and 25 minutes. But still, they claim they are not allowed to speak in parliament."
Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, criticised Khaleda Zia for demanding reintroduction of the non-partisan caretaker administration system.
She noted it was a caretaker regime that had detained the opposition leader and forced her two sons to leave the country. "Now, I ask, why she is crying for the caretaker government system."
Also, Hasina defended recent constitutional amendments.
"The way of grabbing state power by extra-constitutional means has been blocked forever," she said, referring to a new provision in the charter ensuring stringent punishment for of usurper.
The premier also tried to justify maintaining Islam's status as the state religion and keeping the Arabic phrase "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" above the preamble of the constitution. "We did it to respect people's sentiment."
She blasted some religion-based political parties for calling hartal on July 10 and 11 protesting the scrap of the phrase "Absolute faith and trust in Almighty Allah" from the constitution.
"Can't they find Allah in Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim? Do they find Allah in hartal? Allah lives in our heart. Did they lose Allah from their hearts?" Hasina added.
However, the premier expressed "shock" at Wednesday's police assault on Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque, and said she herself enquired about his treatment round-the-clock.
In her half-an-hour's speech, the prime minister also spoke about the government measures to ensure food security, economic freedom, and bring normalcy to the stock market.
Source : The Daily Star
